Automatic alarm and controller for sprinkler-tanks, &amp;c.



No. 792,237. I PATENTED JUNE 13 1905. H. E. REEVE.

AUTOMATIC ALARM AND CONTROLLER FOR SPRINKLER TANKS, &c.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.2,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A zm .No. 792,237. PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905. H. E. REEVB.

AUTOMATIC ALARM AND CONTROLLER FOR SPRINKLER TANKS, 6L0.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO.2, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'om a Henry E/Qecwe 36 Km) aH'ozuu MW mm PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

H. E. REEVE.

AUTOMATIC ALARM AND CONTROLLER FOR SPRINKLER TANKS, 8m.

' APPLICATION FILED DEG,2, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Swvmmloz S a /MenzyE/Qeeve a is omumgs WW UNITED STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. REEVE, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK, ASSIGN OR TO AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N.

NEW YORK.

Y., A CORPORATION OF AUTOMATIC ALARM AND CONTROLLER FOR SPRINKLER-TANKS, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,237, dated June 13, 1905.

Application filed December 2, 1904. Serial No. 285,172.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY E. REEVE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Alarms and Controllers for Sprinkler- Tanks, &e., of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in sprinkler-tanks and the like, and particularly to automatic alarm and pump controlling means therefor.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a section of a portion of a tank near 5 the upper edge, showing my apparatus in use therein, one side of the box or case in which the circuit-closing devices are located being removed for the purpose of illustration. Fig. 2 is a relatively enlarged sectional view of the float and the thermostatic controlling device carried thereby. Fig. 3 is a view of the contact devices and the associated parts of the thermostat, same being viewed on the plane of the line 3 3, Fig. 2, looking in the direction 5 of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the bearing for the supporting-arm of the float. Fig. 5 is a cross-section thereof. Fig. 6 is a section of the box shown in Fig. 1, showing the contact-closers in front elevation.

3 In sprinkler-tanks such as are commonly used the same are seldom located in a part of the building where a substantially uniform temperature is maintained. Hence to prevent freezing in cold weather it is customary to provide said tanks with steam-pipes. If for any reason the steam-pipes should not be effective and the temperature of the water contained in the tanks should descend dangerously near freezing, my apparatus will send 4 in an alarm to warn the attendant. So, also, if the temperature of the water should rise to dangerously near the boilingpoint it will send in an alarm. Should the water-level ascend or descend to a plane above or below that desired, an alarm will also be sent in. I

also provide means for automatically throwing into or out of operation a pump. In this instance electricity is the means intended to Fig. 1 represents a portion of the tank. a a 5 5 represents the normal high-water level. 7) t represents the normal low-water level. If the motor should fail to stop operating and should continue to pump water into the tank, so as to fill it above the level indicated at the line a a, an alarm will be sounded when the water reaches the plane 0 0. Should the motor fail to work when the water reaches the plane Z) Z) and should the water descend to the plane of the line (Z (Z, an alarm will be sounded, whereupon the attendant may manually set the motor in motion. From the foregoing it will be seen that the motor should be turned off and on automatically when the water reaches the levels a a and Z) 6, respectively.

2 is a float carried by an arm 3. 4 is a bear ing for said arm 3. In the preferred form the arm 3 has an angular portion 3, which fits into the bearing t. This bearing should be water and air tight. The bearingt is carried by the box 5, in which the circuit-closers and switch mechanism is located. On the inner side of the bearing at is a slot, (shown at 6, Fig. 5,) through which slot projects the controller-arm 7, carried by the part 3 of 0 the arm 3. This arm 7 operates the switch and the circuit-closers and also in this construction serves as a key to prevent the part 3 from becoming accidentally removed from the bearing 4. 8 5

8 and 8 are two terminals of a circuitcloser. 9 and 9 are two terminals of a second circuit-closer. The parts 8 and 9 of said closers are located in the path of movement of the controller-arm 7. These circuit-closers are each located in a suitable alarm circuit or circuits. hen the float 2 is in the position indicated in solid lines, Fig. 1, the controllerarm 7 operates the circuit-closer 8, sounding an alarm to indicate that the water in the tank 9 5 has descended to a plane below the normal level, which indicates to the attendant that the motor has not responded and that Water should be supplied to the tank. Should the float 2 rise to the positionshown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, the circuit-closer 9 will be operated, sending in an alarm and warning the attendant that the motor has not been automatically stopped,

but that water is still being pumped into the at 11, and the same will be seen in Fig. 1 to be closing the circuit through contact 12. This position of the switch was assumed when the float reached the level 6 b. If the motor should from any cause fail at the proper time. the float will descend to the position indicated in solid lines and warn the attendant of the low level, so that he may thereupon ascertain the cause and remedy any defect. When the float 2 rises to the plane a a, it will through the medium of the controlling-arm 7 swing the switch-controlling member 10 and move the switch-blade 11 out of engagement with the contact 12, opening the circuit and stopping the motor. 1

13 is the casing of a thermostat of any desired construction, the same being carried by the float 2, so that said thermostat will always be located near the surface of the water. Leading from this thermostat are suitable circuit-Wires whereby an alarm may be sent in. These circuits have circuit-closers, which should the temperature rise to a point dangerously near boiling or descend to a point dangerously near freezing will be automatically closed. While, as stated, the construction of the thermostat is immaterial, I would prefer that it should comprise the helical spring-like member 14, carrying the contact device 15, arranged to close the circuit through terminals 16 and 17-. The various operative parts of the thermostat should of course be hermetically sealed, and the circuit-wires may be properly insulated and passed out through the float 2, arm 3, thence through the bearing4 into the receptacle 5, and thence out through a conduit leading therefrom. In Fig. 1, 18 18 represent portions of conduits leading from the receptacle 5, through which the various wires may pass. Variations in the The lower end of the coil 14 is anchored to the stud 14*. The

upper end is movable and carriesthe contact 15. The movement of the upper or free end of the coil 14, produced by extreme heat or cold, will be suflicient to move the contact 15 into engagement with the desired terminal 16 or 17 and close the circuit to send in the desired alarm.

What I claim is 1. In an apparatus of the character described, a swinging arm, a float carried thereby, an alarm-circuit, means for closing said circuit when the arm is in either of two posi tions, a motor-switch, said switch being arranged to be operated when the said arm is in either of two positions intermediate the two positions in which the alarm-circuit is operated.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a movable float, a thermostat carried by and movable with said float, a contactcloser operated by said thermostat, and a circuit arranged-to be opened and closed by said circuit-closer.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a movable float, a thermostat carried by and movable with said float, a circuitcloser operated by. said thermostat, and a circuit arranged to be opened and closed by said circuit-closer when the latter is in either of two positions respectively.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a box or receptacle, a circuit-closer therein, a switch therein, a single operating device for both the circuit-closer and said switch, a float arranged outside of said box and carried by said operating device whereby thelatter is controlled.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a box or receptacle, circuit-closers therein, a motor-switch ther'ein, circuits leading from said closers to an alarm, operating means to operate said closers and said switch, a float arranged externally of the box and in connection with said operating means whereby the latter may be moved as the float is raised or lowered.

6. In an apparatus of the character de-' HENRY E. REEVE.

Witnesses:

R. C. MITCHELL, L. VREELAND. 

